Electric connecter



LQSSAIO Aprii 24, 1934. G. B. BENANDER' ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed March 28. 1935 Invent rn: Geome B. Benanden J fl w 8mm His Attor nw.

Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Monowatt Electric Corporation,

Bridgeport,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 28, 1933, Serial No. 663,158

6 Claims.

can be quickly disassembled for inspection andreplacement of parts.

In accordance with the invention, the connecter is made of a pair of mating insulating bodies which are arranged to receive and secure the contacts of the connecter between them. Suitable clamping members are provided to secure these 0 insulating body members together. Preferably, a pair of clamping members will be employed arranged on opposite sides of the insulating members astride their meeting edges at the sides and provided with a plurality of indentations spaced at intervals longitudinally of the clamping members. The body members are provided with spaced depressions in their surface areas on opposite sides of their meeting edges at the sides of the bodies for receiving the indentations in the clamping members whereby the insulating bodies are secured. Preferably, the clamping members will be formed of some suitable resilient material and, arranged so that when they are applied they will bear with some force on the surfaces of the body members so as to further secure them together.

If desired, the body members may be provided with additional securing means in the form of a ring engaging and surrounding a circular flange defined by cooperating flanges formed on the body members. i

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric connecter embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an expanded view of the connecter of Fig. 1, portions being broken away so as to illustrate certain details of construction; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the plug of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown in one form as applied to electric connectersoi the quick detachable type such as are used on waflie irons, toasters, coflfee makers and Asshown, the connecter comprises two insulating body members 10 and 11 which are substantially similar in construction and which may be molded or otherwise suitably formed of an electrically insulating material.

Each of these members 10 and 11 is provided with similar sets of recesses securing contact members 12 and 13. As shown, the member 10 is provided with a pair of spaced substantially parallel recesses 14 andv 15, and the member 11 is provided with a similar pair of recesses 16 and 17. These recesses are arranged longitudinally of the body members and, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, cooperate with each other when the members 10 and 11 are assembled (Fig. l) to define longitudinally arranged parallel chambers in which the contact members are received and secured.

It will be understood that the body members 10 and 11 will also be provided with suitable channels for leading supply conductors to the contact members 12 and 13. As the particular arrangement of these channels forms no part of the present invention, it has been deemed unnecessary to illustratethem in detail. It will also be understood that the body members 10 and 11 may encase a suitable on and ofi switch arranged to make and break the electric circuit through the plug. 1 This switch forms no part of the present invention and it has not been shown in detail, but an operating member 18 for the switchhas been illustrated in the drawing.

Each member 10, 11 at its end opposite the end. in which the contacts 12 and 13 are secured, is provided with a relatively deep recess 20 (only that in body member 11 being shown) which cooperates with the recess 20 of the other mem her to define an annular channel. This channel serves to secure a helically coiled conductor support and guard 21. This member 21, as shown, is provided with a flange 22 which is locked in the annular channel to secure the guard. The flange 22 may be, and as-shown is formed by winding the end turns of the helix on a larger diameter. If desired, a suitable handle 23 can be attached to the other end of the helix whereby the plug may be conveniently with-' drawn from its operating socket (not shown).

The members 10 and 11 are secured in assembled relation by means of a pair of clips or clamping members 24 and 25 anda clamping ring member 26. As shown (Fig. l), the clamping members 24. and 25 are positioned astride the meeting plane or meeting edges of the members 10 and 11 at their sides, and preferably will be positioned, as shown in Fig. 1, adjacent that end of the connecter in which the contacts 12 and 13 are secured. The clamping ring 26 is positioned at the other end of the connecter and is arranged to engage suitable flanges provided for it on the body members, as will be pointed out, in greater detail hereinafter.

The clamping members 24 and 25 are relative- 1y elongated, and in crosssection have the shape of an elongated or extended U shaped to conform to the side surface areas'of the assembled body members l0,and 11 on opposite sides of their side meeting edges, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The body members 24 and 25, as clearly shown, are arranged to cover or encase these surface areas of the body members 10 and 11. Thus, the clamping members function not only to secure the body members 10 and 11 in their assembled relation, but also serve as a protective armor for these members to protect them from breakage due to shocks, etc.

As shown, each of the clamping members 24, 25 is provided in each of the legs of the U with a pair of indentations 30 spaced longitudinally of the clamping member. These indentations, as shown, form protuberances on the under faces of the clamping members which are arranged to be received in depressions 31 provided for them in the body members 10 and 11, these depressions being spaced as are the indentations 30, whereby when the clamping members are applied laterally the assembied bodies 10 and 1.1, as shown in Fig. the indentations will be received in the corresponding depressions provided for them in the bodies 18 11.

Preferably, the clamping members 24 and 25 will be formed of a resilient material. and these members will be so proportioned that when they are applied to the plug bodies 10 and 11, asshown in Fig. 1, the legs of the U of the clamps will be slightly spread apart. This spreading of the legs is opposed by the resiliency of the material forming the clamping members so that when they are applied to the sides of the assembled bodies they will bear on the members and thereby bind them securely together. This binding action of the clamping members 24 and 25, together with the cooperating indentations and depressions 30 and 31 will effectively secure the body members in their assembled relation.

The clamping ring member 26 is arranged to embrace a circular flange formed by cooperating semi-circular flange portions 32 on the exterior of the body members 10 and 11. This flange, as shown, surrounds'the channel 33 through which supply conductors (not shown) are passed to the contact members 12 and 13.' The opposite edges of the ring member 26 are inturned somewhat so as to engage the opposite sides of the flange 32, 32 when the ring is applied. As shown, the member 26 is formed of a broken ring whereby it can be conveniently applied to and removed from its flange.

In relatively small electric connecters, it has been found that it is unnecessary to use the ring clamping member 26, the clamping action of the members 24 and 25 being sufiicient to effectively secure the body members 10 and 11. As a matter of fact, even in relatively large connecters it has been found that the members 24 and 25 are suflicient, but it is preferable to use the ring 26 as an additional precaution to prevent separation of the, bodies.

- sions.

It will be observed that in order to assemble the connecter bodies 10 and 11 with electric supply conductors (not shown), it is merely necessary to thread the terminal end of the conductors through the helical guard member 21 and connect the conductors with the'binding screws 12a and 13a of the contacts 12 and 13 respectively. These contacts are placed within the recesses 14 and 15 or 16 and 17 provided for them in one of the plug bodies 10, 11, and the flange 22 provided on the guard 21 is seated in the recess of the particular body. The mating plug body 10, 11 is superposed on the first plug body, and thereafter the clamping members 24 and 25 are moved in laterally into their operative positions shown in Fig. 1 wherein the indentations in the clamping members are received in the-depressions 31 provided for them in the body members. If the ring 26 is used, this member will then be placed on its flange 32 which will be provided to receive the ring member.

It will be observed that the plug connecter is of a very simple and inexpensive construction. The contacts 12 and 13 and the spring guard 21 are secured merely by assembling and securing the body members 10 and 11. These members are secured merely by slipping the clamping members 24 and 25 over their side surface areas, and by clamping the ring member 26 on its flange 32, if in fact the ring member is used.

'I'o disassemble the plug, it is merely necessary to remove the ring 26 from its flange and the clamping members 24 and 25 from their depres- Each of these latter members may be conveniently removed by inserting a screw driver or other sharp instrument under an edge of the member and then prying it so, that it will spring away from the body members. In order to facilitate this operation, each of the clamping mem bers may be provided with a tongue 35 arranged on its inner end, that is, its end remote from the contact receptacle end of the plug, and the plug bodies may be provided with depressions 36 in which a screw driver or similar instrument may be inserted under the tongue whereby it can be conveniently pried ofl.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

'1. An electric connecter comprising a plurality of cooperating separable insulating bodies, contacts secured by said bodies, a clamp astride a meeting edge of said insulating bodies and a detachable connection between said clamp and said insulating bodies comprising a plurality of cooperating protuberances and depressions on said clamp and bodies spaced at intervals along the length of said meeting edge.

2. An electric connecter comprising contact members, a pair of separable insulating body members housing said contact members and clamping members astride the meeting edges of said members at their sides and provided with a plurality of dent-like depressions, said body members being provided with corresponding depressions receiving said depressions in said clamping members whereby said body members are secured.

3. An electric connecter comprising contact members, a plurality of separable body members encasing said contact members and a pair of elongated resilient clamping members astride the meeting plane of said body members bearing on their respective side surface areas on opposite sides of said meeting plane and provided with a plurality of indentations spaced at intervals longitudinally ofsaid clamping members, said body members having spaced depressions receiving said indentations.

4. An electric connecter comprising two separable mating insulating members constituting a plug body whose cross-section is elongated transversely, contacts housed by said insulating members, said members being provided with series of depressions spaced at intervals on opposite sides of the meeting edges at their sides and a pair of resilient clamping members bearing on the surface areas of said members on opposite sides of said meeting edges and provided with series of spaced indentations received in said depressions.

5. An electric connecter comprising contact members, a pair of separable mating insulating bodies securing said contact members between them and constituting a plug, said bodies having series of spaced depressions on opposite sides of the meeting edges of said bodies at their sides,

and elongated U-shaped resilient clamping members astride the meeting plane of said bodies engaging said bodies on opposite sides and provided with spaced indentations received in said depressions.

6. An electric connecter comprising two separablemating insulating bodies constituting a plug body whose cross section is elongated transversely and a pair of elongated U-shapedmetallic clamping members embracing the ends of said insulating members, each clamping member provided with spaced indentations, and said insulating members having spaced depressions in their sides for receiving said indentations.

GEORGEv B. BENANDER. 

